


Shoshana X

by wheel_pen



Series: Shoshana [2]
Category: Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, F/M, M/M, Naughtiness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-24
Updated: 2013-05-24
Packaged: 2017-12-12 20:30:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/815726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wheel_pen/pseuds/wheel_pen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU spin-off of Shoshana series. Damon actually kisses Elena in the kitchen after the girls have been up in the attic (Chapter 16 of “Shoshana”); and in discussing this Stefan reveals to her that he and Damon have had a sexual relationship in the past, which Shoshana was also part of.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shoshana X

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. Shoshana, my original character, has a long and complicated history with Damon and Stefan. She has special abilities that could give them an edge over Katherine.
> 
> 2\. This series is set about halfway through the first season of the TV show. Facts revealed later on the show might not make it into this series.
> 
> 3\. Underage warning: This series may contain human or human-like teenagers, in high school, in sexual situations.
> 
> 4\. The bad words are censored. That’s just how I do things.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this AU. I own nothing and appreciate being able to play in this universe.

            When Elena got into Stefan’s car the next morning, she was still unusually subdued. He leaned over to kiss her in greeting and her response was half-hearted, preoccupied. Stefan pulled back with a frown. “Are you okay?” he asked in concern.

            “I didn’t get much sleep last night,” she told him, and he could see the truth of that in the shadows under her eyes that she’d tried to conceal with make-up.

            Well, a horde of vampires attacking you was bound to result in some nightmares. Stefan nodded soberly and pulled the car out onto the street, wishing he’d insisted on staying the night with her. She’d been so adamant about being alone, though, and he was always looking for signs that his lifestyle was too much of an imposition.

            They didn’t speak much as he drove mechanically toward school. Elena fidgeted, always finding something to adjust or check. It wasn’t like her and it worried him.

            “Are you sure you’re—“ he began, at the same moment she started to say something as well. They both paused awkwardly. “Please, go ahead,” he told her politely.

            “Keep driving,” she requested as the school building approached. “Don’t turn in.”

            “Okay,” Stefan agreed immediately, though he was mystified. He drove past the school and continued on through town.

            “I need to talk to you about something,” Elena went on, in a tone that boded nothing good.

            Stefan glanced over at her but she was staring straight out the window. “Okay.”

            “Let’s go… someplace where Damon won’t interrupt us,” she requested cryptically, and Stefan’s hands gripped the steering wheel tighter.

            “I know a place,” he agreed tensely. What had his brother done _now_?

            Stefan drove them out of town, then turned down a dirt track into the woods. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Elena straighten up when she recognized where they were. He pulled over at a clearing and turned the engine off.

            Elena was staring out through the windows at the half-concealed piles of white stone carelessly tumbled among the trees. “This is where your house used to be,” she realized.

            “Yes,” Stefan agreed simply, shifting in his seat to face her. “Damon doesn’t like to come here. What happened?” His hand brushing against her cheek seemed to startle her and she jerked back around quickly. “Did he say something, or…?”

            For a moment Elena made eye contact with him. Then her gaze skittered away. Stefan frowned, trying to be patient. Usually she didn’t have any trouble relaying to him the latest horrible quote from his brother. Unless it wasn’t something bad Damon had _said_ , but rather something he’d talked _about_ —had he told her Stefan had been partially responsible for Shoshana’s death? The act itself could be explained—he’d done a lot of things in the past he wasn’t proud of, and this one had turned out far better than most—but he’d need to tell her why he hadn’t mentioned it to her right from the start. And to do that, he needed to figure out the answer himself first.

            “Is it—“ he began, again overlapping with her own words. Stefan smiled faintly. “Sorry. Go ahead.”

            Elena took a deep breath as if steeling herself and met his gaze again. “Yesterday, in the kitchen, Damon and I were talking, and… he kissed me.”

            Stefan blinked at her several times. Was it wrong that he was intensely relieved by this announcement? Probably a little, yeah. Elena’s eyes suddenly dampened and she looked away quickly, and then he really felt like a heel. He reached out to her immediately. “I’m sorry,” Stefan told her, trying to slide his arm around her shoulders and wishing the center console wasn’t in the way. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t bother you again. He should know better than to—“ His words didn’t seem to be comforting her and he brushed the hair back from her face, trying to see her expression better. “Elena, what’s wrong? He didn’t hurt you, did he?” That idea made Stefan’s vision flash. “Elena?” he insisted.

            “He wasn’t—“ She swallowed and tried again, forcing herself to look at him. “I wasn’t bothered,” she finally confessed.

            Stefan froze. “You weren’t?” he checked. Her eyes filled with shameful tears and she had to look away as she shook her head.

            For the first time all morning Stefan felt himself relax. “Thank G-d,” he sighed, trying to pull her closer. “It’s okay, don’t cry—“ The front seat was an awkward place to comfort someone and he glanced into the back. “Let’s get in the—“

            “What?” Elena demanded, staring at him in confusion. “You’re _relieved_?” For some reason she seemed slightly angry about this.

            “Well, yes,” Stefan admitted easily. Almost giddy, in fact. “I thought he was _harassing_ you and I was going to have to—“ He didn’t really want to think about it. “But if you were okay with it—“

            “I didn’t say I was _okay_ with it,” Elena snapped, and Stefan tried to find her increasingly muddled point of view. “I just—“ She pinned him with a look. “No one is _that_ understanding,” she accused.

            “Damon loves you,” Stefan tried to explain. “As long as he didn’t kiss you against your will—“

            “I don’t understand,” Elena admitted with frustration, backing away from his touch. Stefan itched to hold her, but invading personal space was Damon’s behavior, not his. “Aren’t you _angry_?”

            “No—“

            “I kissed your brother!” Elena exclaimed. “Why aren’t you angry?” She hugged the door as if pulling away from the thing she didn’t understand, her arms tight around herself defensively. “What about Shoshana?” she whispered guiltily.

            “Shoshana wouldn’t mind,” Stefan attempted. “She loves you, too. She’d kiss you herself if she thought you—“ He stopped when he saw Elena’s expression. Okay, maybe that didn’t really need to be said. Elena tried so hard to put aside everything she’d been taught to be with him, and sometimes he felt like all he did was add new challenges for her. “It doesn’t bother me that you and Damon kissed,” he said slowly. “As long as you did it willingly.”

            “What if I kissed Matt?” she demanded. “Or Tyler, or—“ She didn’t have to continue; jealousy flared in his eyes instantly, startling her as she realized she’d never seen it there before. She looked away, feeling suddenly guilty for provoking it. “Why is Damon different?”

            Stefan paused before starting to answer. “When Damon and Shoshana and I all lived together in the past, things were very… communal,” he began delicately, hoping she would get his meaning.

            “You said you slept with her,” Elena remembered. She’d never really forgotten. Stefan nodded. “Not just once or twice, but… often?” He nodded again. “But they got married—“

            “And that was very important for them,” he assured her. “But it wasn’t meant to change anything among the three of us.”

            He saw the moment the thought he’d been waiting for flashed across her mind. “The three of you… But not—you and Damon.” There was the tiniest bit of question in her tone. His answer was a slight raise of his eyebrows. Her breath caught and she turned away quickly, disbelief etched on her face. “But you’re brothers—“ she began to protest faintly.

            “Well, you know what Damon says,” he responded, trying to sound aggressively neutral. “The rules don’t mean as much when you’re going to live forever.” He had long passed being ashamed of his actions in this regard—that had happened when he realized there was no good reason for the shame aside from societal norms that he had clearly bypassed in many other ways. Unlike, say, feeding on humans, no one was hurt by it, and that was Stefan’s baseline now.

            But he couldn’t expect other people to come to that conclusion quickly. It hadn’t even been quick for _him_.

            Elena opened her car door suddenly and stumbled out. Stefan opened his to follow her but her body language stopped him. “I just—need some fresh air,” she said, heading towards the ruins. He got back in the car.

            He watched her go reluctantly, then leaned over to close her door as well as his own. Then he pulled out his phone and called his brother.

            “ _Did you forget your math homework?_ ” Damon asked patronizingly.

            “Why the f—k did you kiss Elena?” Stefan snapped in return.

            He could practically hear Damon’s mood change over the phone. “ _I guess you’re not at school_ ,” he observed. Stefan waited, his temper barely leashed. “ _She was vulnerable and I pressed my advantage_ ,” he explained baldly. “ _She didn’t seem unwilling_.”

            “She wasn’t,” Stefan agreed, and he wondered how much relief Damon was suddenly feeling right now. “But then she felt guilty.”

            “ _Well_ why?” Damon asked in irritation. “ _You didn’t put on a jealous act, did you?_ ”

            “No, of course not,” Stefan replied. “She felt guilty for kissing someone who isn’t her boyfriend, as _normal_ people do.” He didn’t really expect Damon to understand that. “But then I had to explain to her why I _wasn’t_ jealous,” he added with a sigh.

            “ _I confess to being_ very _curious about what you said_ ,” Damon prompted.

            “Communal living,” Stefan admitted. “You and Shoshana, _me_ and Shoshana… you and me.”

            “ _You told her about you and me?_ ” Damon verified urgently. “ _Holy s—t. How’d she take it?_ ”

            “Not real well,” Stefan told him dryly, trying to sight her through the trees.

            He couldn’t tell what kind of mood this news had put Damon in. “ _Do you need me to come—wherever you are?_ ” he offered.

            “No, I do not,” Stefan answered distinctly. “I need you and Shoshana to _not_ have any contact with Elena whatsoever until she decides what she’s going to do about this completely f‑‑‑‑d-up family she’s become entangled with.”

            Damon did not take offense at this. “ _Okay. Hmm. Wow. Did not see that one coming_.”

            “Oh, didn’t you?” Stefan responded sarcastically, then hung up. Once again Damon had managed to cause trouble for everyone around him, and it was up to Stefan to clean it up. If possible.

            He got out of the car again and walked towards the ruins of the house, making more noise than he needed to so he wouldn’t startle Elena. She was sitting on the edge of what used to be outside steps, hidden by a rare standing column, and she looked up just as he spotted her. “Sorry,” he said, starting to back away. “I just wasn’t sure where you’d gone.” Because around here—around _him_ —there were dangers far beyond human criminals or wild animals.

            “Stefan.” He stopped at the sound of her voice and looked back. Her shoulders slumped, her knees were drawn up protectively, and her eyes were moist with a faraway look—but she was asking that he stay.

            Stefan approached gingerly and sat down beside her, close but carefully not touching. He hated to see Elena upset, whether or not it was his fault, whether or not it could have been avoided. She deserved to be happy, to have the kindness she gave to others repaid. He constantly thought about whether what he was about to say or do would hurt her in some way, and he was already second-guessing his explanation to her. Though it really couldn’t be unsaid now.

            She was quiet for a long moment. “When did this…” She didn’t know what word she was looking for. “…begin between you and Damon?” she wanted to know, staring off into the trees.

            “Eighteen sixty-four,” he answered promptly and she nodded as if she had guessed as much. “Katherine wanted us to… _be_ together, the three of us. Maybe forever.”

            “But you were compelled,” Elena said, almost in his defense. “And Damon wasn’t,” she added more quietly, processing the implications of that idea.

            “He says he wasn’t, but…” Stefan shook his head, casting doubt on his brother’s claim. Damon could easily have convinced himself of the truth of his feelings over the past century and a half. “After I was turned and I realized everything Katherine had done to us,” he went on, “I felt like _that_ wasn’t among the worst.”

            She shook her head, not understanding. “If Jeremy and I—“ Her face wrinkled in disgust. “And we’re not even really—I can’t even imagine it.”

            “Damon and I were always close,” Stefan told her with a mild shrug. “We did everything together… Maybe there was a reason Katherine picked the two of us. Maybe she saw something between us that—she was interested in.” He had not developed this theory very much as Damon was uncomfortable with it—ironic, really, since he didn’t seem to have any problems with their relationship since being turned.

            Elena nodded slowly. He wasn’t sure what that meant. “Have you and Shoshana, or you and Damon… done anything lately?”

            This, he understood the meaning of immediately. “No,” he replied firmly. “Not for years. I would never do anything with anyone behind your back.” It was the kind of thing he normally felt went without saying, but then again he’d already challenged a number of Elena’s assumptions about boyfriends.

            She nodded again and smiled a little, and this time he found it reassuring, like he was confirming something of great importance to her. “I guess Shoshana doesn’t—mind,” she noted with a hint of bone-dry humor.

            “Shoshana loves to be loved,” he replied simply, “and to love in return. That’s all she wants, really. It doesn’t matter to her what form it takes.”

            “I guess you get that kind of perspective when you’ve been around for over a century,” Elena suggested, a bit dubiously.

            But he didn’t want her to think he was being patronizing at all, drawing on his supposed greater ‘maturity’ that she just couldn’t understand. “Actually Lexi always thought it was kind of weird,” he confessed, a bit sheepishly.

            “Did you ever sleep with _her_?”

            “No,” Stefan replied, slightly startled by the idea. “That just would’ve been—Hmm,” he finished, seeing the expression on Elena’s face. ‘Amused’ was too light-hearted, but she clearly understood the irony of his response. He didn’t know quite what to say beyond that. Though it did make him think of Lexi again, and the times they’d shared, and how they would never have that again. And why. The thought had occurred to him more than once that Damon was jealous of Lexi, on multiple levels.

            Elena startled him by slipping her hand into his. “She seemed really nice,” she told him softly.

            Apparently he wasn’t doing a good job of hiding his emotions today. “She was,” he agreed. “I wish you could’ve known her better. She would’ve really liked you.”

            “A lot of things don’t turn out the way we expect,” Elena understated, and she could have been thinking of any number of things, from her parents (both biological and adopted) to Stefan. “Maybe we just need to… hold on to what’s most important.” The way Stefan felt about her, the way he treated her, that hadn’t changed; she’d already decided that was more important than him being a living, breathing human being. But sometimes it seemed like each new revelation took longer and longer to get used to.

            Elena let go of his hand and stood, and he followed quickly. The stone seat was making her rear end cold and numb, and besides—“We should really get to school,” she decided reluctantly, turning back towards his car.

            But he wasn’t yet sure where he stood with her right now, and he didn’t like that feeling. “Elena.” He wasn’t sure exactly what to ask or tell her. Could she live with this new knowledge _and_ him?

            She gave him a little smile, a smile that said she didn’t know, either—but she was trying. “We have a test third period,” she reminded him.

            He smiled back, not completely relieved yet but hopeful, at least. “Good thing we studied earlier,” he noted dryly as they headed to the car.

 

            Damon dug into the fridge, carelessly shoving bottles and bags aside. “No, don’t see any,” he reported to Shoshana, who was sitting at the kitchen table with a cookbook propped up in front of her.

            “Well, I need some,” she decided. “Can we run to the grocery store before dinner?”

            He turned to face her, rolling his eyes. “We’ve been to the grocery store three times this week!” he complained.

            “So?”

            “It’s boring,” he told her. “Can’t you just make something else?” Her glare said no, she couldn’t. His glare in return said she ought to think again.

            Damon had the feeling he was just about to give in when his phone rang. “It’s Stefan,” he noted, answering. Given what they’d talked about last time he called, Damon tried to prepare himself for bad news.

            “ _I’m going over to Elena’s for a while after school_ ,” he reported, and Damon was visibly relieved as he repeated this to Shoshana.

            “Well great,” Damon replied to Stefan. “So she’s okay? Everything’s cool between you guys again?” His tone was hopeful.

            Stefan’s was less so. “ _Sometimes she seems fine_ ,” he sighed, “ _but then she thinks about it again and I can tell—suddenly she gets awkward and uncomfortable._ ”

            “What’s he saying?” Shoshana demanded, not liking the expression on Damon’s face.

            He shushed her. “But you’re going over to her house,” he reminded Stefan. “That’s a good sign, right?”

            “ _I don’t know. Maybe_ ,” Stefan replied pessimistically. “ _But look, if she decides to come back home with me tonight, I want you and Shoshana to be scarce, okay?_ ”

            “What’s he saying?” Shoshana repeated with greater urgency, trying to take the phone from him. “Is Elena coming over?”

            “No,” Damon snapped at her, exasperated by the whole situation. “And if she does we can’t see her.”

            He might have struck her, such was the shock and horror in her expression. “What? Why?”

            “I told you why already,” Damon reminded her impatiently. Turning away he added into the phone, “We’ll be scarce. But you better get this situation fixed.” He hung up before Stefan could remind him that it was _his_ actions that had precipitated the situation.

            “I want to see Elena,” Shoshana declared. “I miss her!” She sat dejectedly at the table, the cookbook tossed to one side.

            Damon sat down in the chair next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. “I know you do, Sosie,” he agreed in a kinder tone. “I do, too.” Hence, kissing her.

            “What if she doesn’t like us anymore?” she worried, tears filling her eyes. “She’s my best friend! If she didn’t like us anymore—“ The thought was too depressing to contemplate. “I thought maybe she would get over it at school…”

            “She just has to adjust,” Damon soothed. “It might take a couple days but she’ll come around.” That’s what had happened before, anyway. He reached over and drew the cookbook back in front of Shoshana. “Let’s find something nice for dinner, okay?” Eating usually made her feel better.

            “Okay,” she sniffled, marginally comforted.

 

            Stefan walked slowly through the quiet house, not looking forward to facing Damon and Shoshana. They had actually listened to him and were nowhere to be found in the common areas, which almost made him feel worse. The door to Damon’s bedroom was shut and Stefan knocked on it softly.

            “Come in!” Shoshana called eagerly. Stefan opened the door and she popped up on her knees on the couch, tossing her book aside and scanning the space behind him. Her expression fell as she didn’t see who she was hoping for.

            Damon didn’t let the question hang for long. “Where’s Elena?”

            “She’s at home, having dinner with her family,” Stefan reported soberly. “I don’t think she’ll be coming over tonight.”

            “Well why not?” Damon snapped at him. “What did you say to her? You’ve been with her for hours!”

            “We didn’t _say_ much of anything,” Stefan shot back, trying to keep his temper in check. Losing it wouldn’t help anything. “We just did homework, with Jeremy and Jenna running around. And when Jenna asked if I was staying for dinner…” He remembered the expression on Elena’s face. “It was clear she wanted me to say no. So I left.”

            “Well that was really stupid,” Damon judged. “She’s just going to pick at her spaghetti and brood!”

            Without thinking Damon caught the book Shoshana suddenly flung at him. “This is _your_ fault!” she shouted, bursting into tears. “ _You_ drove Elena away!”

            “Sosie!” Damon called half-heartedly as she ran from the room past Stefan. Her bedroom door slammed shut and Damon let out a long sigh, slouching down on the couch. “I’ve been dealing with this ever since your phone call,” he informed his brother, sounding unusually tired. Stefan slowly walked around and sat down on the couch. “About an hour ago she cried so hard she threw up,” he added.

            “Oh G-d,” Stefan sighed. He was exhausted himself.

            “It was really impressive.” For a moment they were both quiet, contemplating the situation they found themselves in. Then Damon scooted over right next to Stefan and flung an arm around his shoulders—more of a headlock, really. “You want a quickie to make you feel better?” he offered lewdly.

            “Oh, don’t even start with that,” Stefan snapped, appalled at his tastelessness.

            “Relax, I’m kidding,” Damon insisted, though Stefan had no doubt what they’d be doing if he’d said yes. “Just a little brotherly affection. Come on.”

            Giving in Stefan leaned back against his shoulder. It _was_ kind of nice, sometimes, to have someone he could turn to—of course usually Elena would happily be there for him, but that was different; and he didn’t like to bother her with his problems. Obviously they were too much for her sometimes. And Damon was not in any way a reliable or comforting figure. But still—he knew what Stefan went through. He was the only one who really did.

            “Now tell me what happened, and we’ll figure this out,” Damon instructed, in an optimistic tone.

            You knew the world wasn’t right when _Damon_ was the optimist. “This morning Elena was upset,” Stefan began flatly. “She didn’t want to go to school, she wanted to talk somewhere.” Damon nudged him to continue. “She told me that you’d kissed her.”

            Damon nodded as if this were an interesting piece of news that had nothing to do with him. “And how did you react? Use some adjectives if you want, I know you like those.”

            “Well, I was relieved,” Stefan admitted. “I thought she was going to say—well, something worse.”

            “You’re so _dumb_ ,” Damon told him in a pitying tone. “You don’t act _relieved_ when your girlfriend says she kissed your brother.”

            “Sorry,” Stefan replied sarcastically. “I missed the article about that in _GQ_. I _was_ relieved,” he added defensively. “Especially when she assured me she didn’t really mind it.”

            Damon focused in on him sharply. “Think back. What were her _exact_ _words_?”

            “She said she ‘wasn’t bothered’ by the kiss,” Stefan relayed.

            “’Wasn’t bothered,’” Damon repeated thoughtfully. “I thought it was better than that myself, but it _was_ somewhat spontaneous—“

            “Are you trying to help or just gloating?” Stefan asked in irritation.

            “Can’t I do both?” Damon wanted to know. He shook Stefan’s shoulders lightly in a triumphal manner. “I kissed Elena and she ‘wasn’t bothered’ by it! That’s worth celebrating!”

            “And where is she right now?” Stefan asked dryly.

            “Well, clearly you handled this wrong,” Damon decided, and Stefan sighed, wondering why he’d even bothered talking to him. “You have to get mad at girls sometimes, it shows them that you care.”

            “You are _such_ a Neanderthal,” Stefan judged. “No, wait, sorry, that’s an insult to Neanderthals.”

            Damon let this comment roll off him. “Now I’m not saying you should’ve thrown a hissy fit or anything,” he went on sagely, “but you should’ve at _least_ been a little peeved. I mean, you could’ve gotten over it quickly, but come on—she kissed your brother! _She_ should be the one calling and begging for forgiveness.”

            Stefan couldn’t turn to glare at him but trusted Damon understood his sentiment. “I am not blaming Elena for this or trying to make her feel bad for _your_ actions,” he stated coolly.

            “Hey, she wasn’t exactly fighting me off,” Damon pointed out.

            “Lucky for you,” Stefan snapped, trying to shake off his arm. “If you’d done _anything_ to coerce her—“

            “Calm down, calm down,” Damon insisted, pulling him back in place. “I wouldn’t. I told you, I saw she was open to the idea and went for it. Now how did you get from here to, ‘Oh, by the way, I’ve had sex with my brother’?”

            Stefan rolled his eyes at the crudity. “I had to explain why I wasn’t upset that _you_ had kissed her, as opposed to anyone else,” he said. “Which lead to how you and I and Shoshana usually lived, and then she asked and—“

            “Whoa, wait a minute, Elena _asked_ if you and I had sex?” Damon clarified. “Wow. This girl has a seriously dark mind. Why did you say _yes_?”

            “Well, it’s true,” Stefan replied, which Damon clearly did not think a good enough reason. “And I didn’t want her to think we—passed Shoshana back and forth like a hat.”

            Damon blinked at him. “Okay, your little sense of honor? Seriously twisted,” he judged. “You told your girlfriend you committed _gay incest_ to prevent her thinking you might’ve been marginally disrespectful to another girl.”

            “Well when you put it that way,” Stefan sighed helplessly.

            “Also I would never share my hats with you, you’re not cool enough.”

            “You know, some days _I_ can’t even believe I had sex with you,” Stefan told him in irritation, “for the _sole_ reason that you are so d—n obnoxious.”

            “I know, it’s hard to believe you’re that lucky,” Damon agreed immodestly. His tone sobered slightly. “So the thought of you and me together put her off, huh?”

            “Well, it was a lot of weirdness all at once,” Stefan decided.

            “Yeah, but weirder than being a vampire?” Damon countered. “I mean, come on. How many girls have we met who just _loved_ the idea of going home with two hot brothers?”

            “I don’t think they really had the same thing in mind that _you_ did,” Stefan noted dryly, “especially the ones who ended up dead.”

            “You know, you’re so judgey, you’re hard to put up with sometimes,” Damon criticized.

            “Sorry.”

            “Don’t you think she’ll get over it in a couple days?” Damon asked him hopefully after a moment, and Stefan was not heartened by the hint of desperation in his tone. “If no one mentions it and…”

            “Like you’ll never mention it,” Stefan scoffed.

            “I won’t!” Damon insisted. “I haven’t! It was _you_ that let _that_ particular cat out of the bag, little brother.” Stefan had to concede that. “And maybe she’ll think about it, kind of get used to the idea, turn it over in her mind, and—“

            “Yeah, I think _not_ ever mentioning your orgy dreams is gonna be the way to go,” Stefan decided, “especially since now she knows they’ve actually come true in the past. Let’s go check on Shoshana.”

            “She’ll just be crying in some dramatic way,” Damon predicted, but he lifted his arm to let Stefan up. “Her little heart is just crushed by the idea of Elena not liking us anymore.” He’d meant the words to be sarcastic but they came out decidedly less so.

            “Elena’s not mad at Shoshana,” Stefan protested, heading for the door. Damon reluctantly followed. “And her affection for _you_ has always been ambiguous at best,” he added to Damon, perhaps unfairly. “It’s _me_ she’s feeling uncomfortable around.”

            “All for one and one for all,” Damon reminded him dryly as they walked down the hall.

            They could easily hear Shoshana’s sobs through the door and Stefan’s face twisted up as if he were in physical pain. “Be tough,” Damon advised, clenching his shoulder. “Don’t let her get to you.”

            “How many times has she made you cry today?” Stefan wanted to know, reluctant to open the door.

            “Only twice,” Damon claimed. “Okay, maybe three. _But_ I never let her see. So don’t be a wimp. Or we’ll all just be a big, pathetic mess feeding off each other’s misery.”

            “Yeah, don’t need to do _that_ again,” Stefan resolved. He took a breath even though he didn’t need to breathe. “Okay. Shoshana?” he called, knocking gently on her bedroom door before opening it.

            She was lying facedown on the bed, crying bitterly, and didn’t bother to look up. Stefan and Damon went to her quickly, climbing onto the bed on either side and trying to soothe her with comforting sounds and touches.

            “Shh, Shoshana, it’s okay,” Stefan tried, rubbing her back.

            “Sosie, don’t cry, please stop crying,” Damon requested, stroking her hair.

            “It’s _not_ okay!” she protested, her face flushed and tear-stained. “Elena’s _gone_! She doesn’t like me anymore!”

            “No, no, I’m sure Elena—“ Stefan started to counter, but he couldn’t bring himself to finish the protest. He had to admit it _was_ unlikely that Elena and Shoshana could remain friends if Elena wasn’t comfortable around either of the boys—and since Stefan had suggested that Shoshana was _also_ not exempt from attraction to Elena, he could imagine her not wanting to be alone with the other girl either. “I mean, she just needs some time—“ he tried to salvage, while Damon glared at him like he was doing everything wrong.

            “I want Elena!” Shoshana wailed. “I want her to love me! I don’t want her to hate me!”

            “My G-d, that could be our family motto,” Damon noted, scooting even closer to her. “She loves you, I know she does,” he told her.

            “Then why won’t she come see us?” Shoshana demanded wetly.

            If either of them felt she was being unreasonable—Elena had just spent the previous weekend with them—it didn’t cross their minds to point it out. And it wouldn’t have done any good anyway. “Elena just needs time to think,” Stefan tried again, blinking rapidly as his own eyes started to moisten. Shoshana’s misery was just so _palpable_. “She—she—“

            “She’ll come around,” Damon assured her. “No one can dislike Stefan for long, no matter how perverted he is.” Stefan gave his brother a _gee, thanks_ look.

            “Elena’s my best friend,” Shoshana sniffled with despair. “What if she tells Bonnie and Caroline, and then _they_ don’t like me either?”

            “I don’t really think that’s gonna happen,” Stefan and Damon assured her simultaneously. It was hard to picture Elena telling this story to anyone else.

            “Do you want to have sex?” Damon offered Shoshana, in a tone that was meant to be sweet. “That will make you feel better. I don’t care if you’re all snotty.”

            His generous offer was rebuffed, however. “I just want Elena back,” she sobbed. “I want Elena ba-a-a-a-ack!”

            “Honey, I—“ Stefan didn’t know what else he could say and just put his arm around her shoulders.

            But Damon wasn’t giving up just yet. “We’ll get Elena back for you,” he promised rashly, desperately.

            “ _What?_ ” Stefan asked in alarm, staring at him. Shoshana glanced up with interest.

            “Call her,” Damon demanded of his brother.

            “I will not call her!” Stefan shot back hotly.

            “Fine.”

            “Don’t _you_ call her either!” Stefan snapped as Damon started to dig out his own phone. He lunged across Shoshana, trying to take the phone away. “Just leave her alone!”

            “Just call her and apologize and tell her to come over!” Damon insisted, trying to dial with Stefan pouncing on him.

            “I don’t have anything to apologize for!” Stefan insisted. “ _You’re_ the one who messed things up, _you’re_ the one who kissed her—“

            “Fine, _I’ll_ apologize then,” Damon snapped. As much as Stefan appreciated the rare gesture, he didn’t think it would actually help at this point and doubled his efforts to snatch away his brother’s cell phone.

            They both froze suddenly as they heard a noise downstairs. Shoshana didn’t seem to notice and continued sobbing into the blanket.

            Stefan rolled off Damon and peeked out the doorway into the living room below. Then he quickly scrambled back to the bed, trying to convey who it was to Damon without saying the name aloud. Finally Damon got it and sighed with relief, though Stefan was still agitated.

            “It’s okay, Sosie, it’s okay,” Damon told her, rubbing her back again. “We’ll get Elena back for you, I promise.” Stefan gave him a warning look, which Damon dismissed.

            Slowly footsteps climbed the stairs to the second floor and came down the hall to Shoshana’s room. Elena appeared in the doorway, tentative and skittish. Immediately Stefan climbed off the bed, feeling a powerful urge to go to her. But he restrained himself, afraid of her reaction. Eyes moistening as she stared at Shoshana, Elena moved to the foot of the bed and Damon poked the other girl’s shoulder, suggesting she look around. When she caught sight of Elena she spun around on the bed and Damon put his arms around her to restrain her, in case Elena wasn’t ready for a full-on Shoshana assault. “Elena! You came back!” she exclaimed joyfully, arms reaching out.

            Elena started to raise her own arms and Damon let Shoshana go, watching her fly at the other girl exuberantly and wrap her arms around her as if she’d never let go. Stefan watched them with small smile on his face, his hands shoved deep in his pockets to keep them still. Now Shoshana was crying with happiness and Elena couldn’t fight joining in, even if she wasn’t really sure what was prompting the tears.

            “Good thing we own stock in Kleenex,” Damon quipped, handing over a box.

            “Oh Elena, promise you won’t ever get mad and leave us again,” Shoshana requested earnestly.

            “She can’t promise that,” Stefan intervened quickly.

            “Well she _could_ ,” Damon countered, knowing much of broken promises.

            “I didn’t really _leave_ you,” Elena tried to tell the other girl gently, sidestepping her demand. “I just saw you yesterday.”

            “It seems like forever,” Shoshana sighed, squeezing Elena again. “You’re my best friend ever in the world, in my whole life, and I don’t want you to be mad at us.”

            “She doesn’t—“ Stefan began to clarify.

            “Oh, let her ramble, it makes her feel better,” Damon interrupted.

            Shoshana pulled back slightly so she could look at Elena. “Are you still mad at Stefan?” she asked seriously. “I wish you wouldn’t be. He hasn’t done anything wrong, you know.”

            “Shoshana—“ Stefan tried to cut in, uncomfortably.

            “No, you’re right,” Elena agreed, turning to him. “He hasn’t.” Whatever he did, she knew Stefan tried to avoid hurting anyone, especially those he cared about—and nothing he’d said to her today contradicted that, no matter how strange it seemed to her. He was still the same person that she loved—and she didn’t want him to avoid telling her about himself for fear of how she’d react. “I’m sorry,” she added softly, reaching for him, and he embraced her eagerly but carefully, always mindful of his greater strength.

            “Don’t be sorry,” he insisted. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

            “You, on the other hand,” Shoshana said pointedly to Damon, who had taken her back onto his lap. “You should apologize to Elena for kissing her.”

            Elena finally met Damon’s eye, the unresolved tension thick between them. “I’m not sorry,” he proclaimed, managing to sound both defiant and innocent as he gazed over Shoshana’s shoulder.

            “Damon,” Stefan hissed warningly. The last thing he needed was for his brother to throw a wrench into everything. Though that was exactly what Damon was best at.

            “But I promise not to do it again,” Damon sighed in a long-suffering tone. “Until _asked_ ,” he added suggestively.

            “Thank you,” Elena told him coolly.

            Shoshana beamed as though they were all best friends now. “Elena, would you like some dinner?” she offered brightly. “You can tell me what you did at school today while we eat!”

            “Actually I just ate,” Elena admitted reluctantly.

            “Oh. Well, come to the kitchen while I make dinner for myself,” Shoshana requested instead. “I ate earlier but then I threw it all up and I’m hungry again.”

            “I’ll make you dinner,” Damon offered gallantly, setting her aside and standing. “Omelet, French toast, fruit smoothie?”

            “Yum!” she declared in approval. For once Damon realized when he wasn’t wanted and exited to do something useful. “I’m going to clean up a little,” she decided. Suddenly she gripped Elena’s arms and stared her in the eye. “Don’t. Go. Anywhere,” she said fiercely. Elena nodded helplessly and Shoshana left to use her bathroom.

            Which left Elena and Stefan alone in the room. Elena let out a long breath, suddenly exhausted, and Stefan pulled her close, a smile on his lips. “They can be kind of intense,” he understated.

            “No kidding,” Elena agreed, wiping her eyes. “I didn’t think—I didn’t realize she’d be so upset,” she admitted. Or that Shoshana being upset would affect _her_ so much.

            “She’s very emotional,” Stefan pointed out, which wasn’t exactly ground-breaking news. “And she’s lost people in the past.”

            Elena had heard enough about the past for one day. She took a deep breath and faced Stefan, who gave her a curious look. “I need you to know that I’m sorry,” she began.

            “You don’t—“

            “I do,” she insisted firmly. “Stefan, I kissed someone else.”

            He shook his head. “He kissed _you_ , and it doesn’t matter anyway—“

            “But I didn’t _know_ it didn’t matter,” she pointed out. “And I didn’t do anything to try and stop him. I promise I won’t ever do anything like that again.”

            “Okay,” he said, hugging her close. He couldn’t find it in himself to be angry at Elena for this, even if he could rewind the day back to before he’d made everything awkward between them. Even if it had been someone other than Damon—His arms tightened reflexively around her and immediately he relaxed them to avoid hurting her. He could get over it, not that he ever  thought it would really happen. But she felt badly about the situation and he appreciated that.

            Shoshana bounded out of the bathroom. “Let’s go have some dinner!” she declared, looping her arm through Elena’s. Stefan let her go with a smile at her overwhelmed expression and followed the girls out of the room.


End file.
